Storm Pabuk: Tourists flee Thailand as tropical storm 'threatens 22-foot waves'
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Your support makes all the difference.Tropical Storm Pabuk is set to bring 40mph winds, heavy rains and dangerously high waves to a number of tourist spots on Friday, including the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
Tens of thousands of tourists have reportedly escaped popular resort islands in Thailand ahead of the first tropical storm to hit the country's southern shores in almost 30 years.
Thai authorities suspended ferry services and began evacuations on Thursday as the storm bears down during the country's peak tourism season.
Rain was already falling around the Gulf of Thailand and officials warned that torrential downpours, strong winds and rough seas were expected in 16 provinces when Pabuk makes landfall late on Friday.
There are fears that the storm will be the worst to hit Thailand since 1989, when Typhoon Gay left more than 400 dead.
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Officials have warned torrential downpours, strong winds and rough seas are expected in 16 provinces when Storm Pabuk makes its expected landfall on Friday.
There are fears the storm will be the worst in Thailand since Typhoon Gay in 1989, when left more than 400 dead. A tropical storm in 1962 killed more than 900 people in the south of the country.
Bangkok Airways has announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Koh Samui on Friday "for safety reasons." Affected passengers will be able to rebook their flights without paying fees or charges, the airline said.
As the storm progresses out to the Andaman Sea after and towards the Bay of Bengal into next week it could become a problem for the coasts of Myanmar, Bangladesh or India.
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